Snoring occurs when air cannot move freely through the nose and mouth during sleep. When asleep, the tongue and muscles in the neck relax, partially closing the upper airway; this narrowing causes a vibration that is heard as a snore.
Narrowing of the airway can be caused by a multitude of factors including swollen tonsils, excess weight around the neck, anatomy (such as the structure of the jaw, nose, tongue, throat and palate), sleep position (lying on your back), nasal and sinus problems, and even alcohol.
Snoring not only affects your partner’s sleep, but can also affect the quality of your own sleep. Severe snoring may also be a sign of serious medical conditions such as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). OSA is marked by ‘apnoeas’ (when breathing stops completely) for a period varying from a few seconds to a minute. OSA has been linked to cardiovascular complications and is a risk factor for hypertension (high blood pressure) and insulin resistance. It is associated with heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmia and strokes. Not to mention, constantly feeling tired and irritable due to a lack of quality sleep.
OSA can also occur in children (usually due to enlarged tonsils partially blocking the airway) and has been linked with: failure to thrive and develop, difficulty concentrating, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bed-wetting. It is not always associated with daytime sleepiness.
Our Services & Solutions to Stop Snoring
If you snore, or suspect you may snore, a sleep study should be done to rule out OSA. At Care Dental Camberwell, we can organise a referral to Sleep Services Australia for a sleep study to be undertaken. If OSA is diagnosed, there are solutions that can be implemented to manage, and hopefully, stop it. These include a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine or mandibular advancement splint (similar to a mouthguard that brings the lower jaw forward, opening up the airway). Losing weight, decreasing alcohol consumption or quitting smoking may be all that is required to stop the OSA. Each individual person will be diagnosed and managed appropriately to their individual needs. Care Dental Camberwell provides both sleep apnea treatment and a range of other sleep dentistry services.
We believe that accurate diagnostic models not only enable the prescription of more individualized treatments and procedures but also serve as a great basis for communication with the patient. Affordable Dentist Camberwell, we prioritize these models to ensure the best care and clarity for our patients.
Why Use Snoring Appliances?
- Good quality sleep is the key to leading a healthy life. Our patients have been amazed by how much energy they have after using one of our snoring solutions. A poor sleep can cause problems in all aspects of your life, from your mood, to your weight and your performance at work.
- We’ve already discussed how important a good night’s sleep is and it is just as important for your partner. Unless you’ve been continuously woken up by a loud snorer, you don’t understand the frustration of having your sleep continuously interrupted.
- Sleep is incredibly important for children. Sleep allows children to develop both physically and mentally and without that rejuvenating rest developments in both of these areas may be stunted. Children who don’t get a good night sleep are also more likely to have behavioural problems and have trouble concentrating at school.
- OSA is an incredibly serious affliction and it can be fatal, treating snoring can be about a lot more than getting your partner and yourself a good night’s sleep, it could save your life.